Lana Marie Beam

Lana Marie Beam, age 68, lost her 12-year battle with cancer on Monday, February 19, 2018, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN. She was a long-time resident of Prior Lake, MN.

A time of gathering will be held on Sunday, February 25, from 2-5 pm at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 4565 Pleasant Street SE, Prior Lake and on Monday, February 26 from 10-10:50 am, at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, 3611 North Berens Road NW, Prior Lake, followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11 am. Pastor Adam Teske will preside.

On September 18, 1949 in Decorah, Iowa, Lana was born to parents Elmer and Edith (Sersland) Gipp. She was the fourth of five children raised on the family 200-acre farm. Lana was more of a Tomboy, for she was always side by side with her dad. Together, they spent long hours working the fields and tending to the daily chores on the farm. Lana attended a one room county school, just down the road. After Elmer retired, the Gipp family moved into town. She then furthered her education at Decorah High School, where Lana participated in cheerleading and was even crowned the Homecoming Queen. She graduated in 1967.

Lana decided to explore the country. She attended a flight attendant school in Kansas City and later. traveled to Washington DC and began working for the FBI, as a fingerprint specialist. Wanting to be closer to her family, Lana then took a job as a Dental Assistant in Fridley, MN. And made her final move and most enjoyable career was working with the Prior Lake School District, where Lana held her position for 32 years. Lana loved working with her students and built long lasting relationships with them that still exist today. She loved the idea of learning, especially with those that struggled.

Lana was blessed with two sons, Todd and Josh. She was an amazing mother and adored her sons. Lana’s life was once again enriched, when she met Troy Allen Beam, through mutual friends. They instantly hit it off. Lana and Troy married on July 18, 1992, in Prior Lake, MN. She enjoyed the simple things in life. Lana loved to, travel, especially to Florida to see her son and spending quality time with family and friends.

It was Lana’s home that was her pride and joy. Lana spent countless hours tending to her flower and vegetable gardens. She made sure that whomever came over, they were comfortable and felt welcomed. Lana relished planning events, from simple family gatherings, to holiday celebrations and especially her son’s wedding. In her spare time, Lana loved to bargain shop, collect giraffes and was the queen of coupons. She treasured all of her relationships but particularly the close friendships of Beth Brazier and Amber Corcoran.

Lana had an amazing personality. She loved helping others. Whoever needed her, she was there. She had an infectious smile and would light up any room, along with her hardy laugh. She was caring, respectful and always had special words of wisdom. She loved her relationships with her students, but her greatest passion was being a wife, mother, grandma, sister, aunt and friend to many.

Condolence Messages

To the family of Lana, we all share in your sorrow. At Decorah High, Lana was one of my besties as a classmate and dear friend. Her love for life and always having fun goes all the way back to her high school days. Everyone loved Lana and her very fun laugh. She was a genuine lady and will be missed. We had so much while attending high school and everything that went with it. In sympathy, as Lana now shares her love ( and laugh!) – with all those in Heaven.

Rest in peace Lana Beam you were always great to work with. You never let me worry about you always have the biggest heart of gold. we always made each other laugh and you made work and life much brighter. Thank you so much for the kindness you showed me over the years I’ll never forget the fun moments we had. I’ll see you in the stars some day trouble maker!

Lana will forever live on in the hearts of her students and everyone she ever touched. She is a one of a kind and will be greatly missed by everyone at TOMS. Lana’s energy was endless and her laughter and tears were contagious. She battled more than an army and was one of the toughest, bravest people I have ever met.

To Ms. Beam’s family- I am sorry to hear the news about Ms.Beam…. I have 4 children in the Prior Lake schools and Ms. Beam touched the heart of all 4 of my kids. She made an amazing difference in each of their lives and without her encouraging words and her wonderful ways of making them feel important and special … I truly don’t think that they would have made it through the middle school years without her love, help and guidance…(she even came to 2 of their graduation parties… unfortunately she won’t be able to make it to the last 2 parties coming up ) She helped “mold” the people they are today!!! I’m sorry for your incredible loss but happy that she is no longer suffering and in pain. Please know that she was so deeply loved by so many and will missed terribly… -Kim Williams & Loved by her students, Abbey, Aaron, Alex and Alden Williams

My heart aches for your family. I treasured Lana’s friendship for the past fifty years. When I had joy or sorrow or just needed to hear her laugh, I always knew I could call her. Please know her “FBI” friends share in your sorrow.

Lana, or “Mrs. Beam” as she was known to our family, was THE MOST impactful instructor in the the life of my son, Evan, Had she not been an after school tutor, he very likely would not have advanced through his TOMS years. She had a special fondness for academically-struggling youngsters, and touched lives like no other in these formative years.

I was so sad when Mrs Beam retired last year. She was one of my favorite paras. She was always so positive and bubbly. If I was having a bad day or a rough time she was always there for me. She supported me in so many ways and helped me get through a lot of my classes. I am grateful that I had a chance to be her student.

To the family of Lana Beam, There are no words to express our deep sadness for your loss. We truly believe Lana was an Angel walking among us here on earth … and we told her that many, many times (minimally she was OUR Angel). She supported and encouraged our son during his 8th grade year at TOMS and it was truly the best gift we could have received. She had this amazing way of being firm yet loving and the kids truly responded. Thanks for sharing such an amazing person with us. She will always hold such a special place in the hearts of MY family.

My sympathy to Troy, Todd, Josh and all your families. Lana and I were classmates at DHS. After we discovered that we lived in the same area, we attended class reunions together and had lunch occasionally, most recently a couple weeks after our 50th reunion last October. She was a bright light in our world and will be missed by the students and staff at Prior Lake Schools, friends from high school and all of you. Cherish all the good times and memories. God bless you all.

I am very sorry for your loss. I remember her wonderful smile and bubbly personality. My heartfelt sympathy and prayers to her family and friends from a classmate of DHS 1967. Patricia Fenneman, Clarksville, IA

Mrs. Beam’s Family, On Tuesday morning of this past week I received a call from a Twin Oaks counselor letting me know that Mrs. Beam passed away the previous day. My heart immediately sank and tears formed in my eyes. How was I going to tell my 8th grade daughter of her passing? I am her mama and I knew that there was nothing I could do to fix or mend the pain Maria would feel in regards to this loss. I prayed all day for God to guide me with my words when telling my Maria about the passing of one of her favorite people on earth. My baby, all five feet seven inches of her curled in my lap as I told her about Mrs. Beam. Her eyes welled up with gigantic tears that gently began flowing down her cheeks. She shook her head no and melted into me in disbelief. Mrs. Beam was not just a teacher to Maria, she was a light for her during one of her most difficult years. She was the person that gave my daughter confidence, strength, encouragement and a shoulder to cry during tough days. Mrs. Beam was the reason Maria woke up in the morning to attend school. She gave Maria unconditional love that unfortunately isn’t given to enough of our students in today’s world. We have all heard that it takes a village to raise a child and Mrs. Beam was definitely Maria’s village ANGEL. As I reflect on life after the loss my little lady is dealing with, I only hope that I can touch just one person in the way Lana touched my child. That to me would be the ultimate success of a life that was worth living. May God embrace Mrs. Beam’s family with love and strength during this difficult time. I told Maria she is the lucky one because she now has a true heavenly angel that will forever be watching over her. She came home from school Wednesday with one of Mrs. Beam’s beloved stuffed animal giraffes. The giraffe she named Beamer hasn’t left her arms. Mrs. Beam I want to thank from the bottom of my heart for the genuine love and friendship you gave Maria. Warmly, Jacqueline Flick

I want to wish you my deepest sympathies. Mrs. Beam was one of my teachers last year. She was a really good teacher. She was always there and willing to help me out when I needed it and she always brightened up my day when I was having trouble. I will miss her very much.

One of the nicest friends I have ever known, from pre-kindergarten Sunday School at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, through confirmation, and graduation together at Decorah High School. We’ll all miss her forever. Peace to you, Lana, your family and friends.

I was privileged to work with Lana many years ago at school. She was so dedicated to helping each student and a delight to be around. She will be missed much by all who knew her. Cherish all the wonderful memories and Peace be with you.

My family’s hearts and prayers for the beam family. I had this wonderful woman from 6th to 8th grade! She has brought me a lot of wonderful memories and chats we had. Middle school is such a tough year for many children but Lana was so passionate and understanding. I graduated 2016 from Prior Lake and working at Micheal’s Arts and Craft, she would stop by and visit, chatting with me and talking about the school year. Lana was really loved by her students, even some who would stop by and write on her wall, giving her a small message. She was a very special and talented teacher and my heart, thoughts and prayers are with the Beam Family.

How do I send a condolence?

First, locate the condolence form to the left and below any other condolences. Then you will need to fill out some basic information prior to typing your message. (We will not share your e-mail address with anyone). Once you are finished typing your message, simply click the submit condolence button. It may take up to 24 hours for your message to appear. We also provide a Tell-A-Friend feature located at the top of this column. This form allows you to send the obituary to a friend. This is particularly helpful to someone who may live out of town.

Share This Obituary

Your Name*

Your Email*

Their Name*

Their Email*

Message*

Post Title

Comments

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Video: How To Add An Obituary To Facebook

Click on the image above to access the video and the step by step instructions.